Maternity mattress



April 23, 1968 J. P. SKINNER 3,378,862

MATERNITY MATTRESS Filed Aug. 29, 1965 INVENTOR Jerald Paul Skinner United States Patent 3,378,862 MATERNITY MATTRESS Jerald Paul Skinner, Topeka, Kans., assignor to Independent General, Incorporated, Topeka, Kans., a corporation of Kansas Filed Aug. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 575,747 4 Claims. (Cl. -345) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A foam rubber mattress is provided with a cavity in its upper surface shaped to accommodate the expanded abdomen of a woman in full-term pregnancy. A stretchable panel spans the distance across the cavity and is held in place on the upper surface of the mattress by the ticking. The panel flexes into the cavity when a pregnant woman rests upon the mattress face down, the degree of flexure being dependent upon the size of the expanded abdomen. The panel thus serves as a continuing support for the expanded abdomen during the progressive stages of the pregnancy.

This invention relates to mattresses and has for its principal object the provision of a mattress having a cavity in the upper surface thereof for receiving a protuberant portion of a person resting on the mattress so that maximum support may be provided with a minimum amount of discomfort.

It has been suggested that the occurrence of certain complications arising during childbirth, such as breech delivery, may be substantially reduced, if not eliminated completely, if the potential mother were to sleep facing downwardly during the period of pregnancy. In the past, sleeping in such a position has not been possible because the shape of the expanded abdomen of a pregnant woman would not permit reclining in that manner with comfort. Therefore, it is a very important aim of the present invention to provide a mattress having a cavity disposed substantially centrally therein and configured to receive the expanded abdomen of a pregnant woman so that she is permitted to lie facing downwardly thereon with comfort.

Manifestly, a bed, including a mattress having a cavity therein large enough to accommodate the expanded abdomen of a pregnant woman, would be difficult to make to present a neat appearance during periods of nonuse because the sheets, covers and bedspreads or the like would tend to fall into the cavity, thus creating an uneven exposed top surface. Hence, it is a very important object of the present invention to provide such a mattress having a stretchable panel spanning the distance across the cavity wherein the panel flexes downwardly into the cavity when exposed to the weight of a person reclining on the mattress but which remains inflexible under the weight of bed coverings whereby the bed may be properly made to present a neat appearance A further important object of the invention is to provide a plug for filling the cavity of such a mattress when there is no longer a need for the cavity to the end that the periods of use of the mattress are extended beyond the periods when the cavity is required.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mattress assembly embodying the principles of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, cross-sectional, elevational view of the mattress assembly illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, partial plan view of the mattress 3,378,862 Patented Apr. 23, 1968 assembly illustrated in FIG. 1, certain parts having been broken away for increased clarity; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical, cross-sectional view of the removable plug configured to fill the cavity in the mattress. A mattress assembly embodying the principles and concepts of the instant invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 and broadly designated by the numeral 10. Mattress 10 includes a substantially rectangularly-shaped body 12 of resilient material such as foam rubber or the like. Body 12 has a substantially rectangular and planar upper surface 14, and a cavity 16 extending downwardly from sur face 14. Cavity 16 has an arcuate, vertical cross-sectional configuration which can be seen viewing FIG. 2, and a circular, horizontal cross-sectional configuration which can be seen viewing FIG. 3.

Mattress 10 includes a stretchable panel 18 of spandex or the like disposed in full spanning relationship across cavity 16. As can be seen viewing FIG. 1, means in the nature of a ticking 20 is provided for holding panel 18 in place over cavity 16.

A removable plug 22 for filling cavity 16 during periods when the latter is not required, has a lower surface 24 configured to complementally engage the walls 26 of cavity 16, and an upper surface 28 configured to provide vertioal support for panel 18 by underlying the latter. It is to be understood that body 12 is preferably constructed from a uniform block of foam material, the plug 22 being removed therefrom during construction. Hence, it can be seen that when body 12 is constructed in this manner, plug 22 will readily fit into cavity 16 to substantially fill the latter. A zipper 30 in ticking 2111 along one side of mattress 10 provides a means of readily gaining access to surface 14 adjacent cavity 16 to remove or insert plug 22.

During periods of use by a woman in full-term pregnancy, panel 18 flexes downwardly to assume the approximate position shown by dashed lines in FIG. 2. Alternatively, during periods of nonuse, panel 18 has a configuration as indicated by the solid lines. Hence, a bed having a mattress such as 10 thereon presents a flat surface for supporting bed coverings to provide a neat ap pearance when the bed is not in use. Conversely, panel 18 readily flexes downwardly into cavity 16 to accommodate the protuberant portion of a person such as the expanded abdomen of a pregnant woman. Therefore, mattress 10 embodies the principles of the instant invention and includes structure which fulfills all of the objects, aims and purposes of the instant invention to a substantial degree.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A maternity mattress comprising:

a resilient body having an upper surface and a cavity extending downwardly from said surface shaped to accommodate the expanded abdomen of a woman in full-term pregnancy; and

a support for the expanded abdomen of a pregnant woman resting on the body,

said support including a stretchable panel on said surface spanning the distance across said cavity and means on the body holding the panel in place for free flexure thereof into said cavity to a degree dependent upon the size of the expanded abdomen thereupon, whereby to hold the panel in underlying relationship to the expanded abdomen to provide continuing sup port during the progressive stages of the pregnancy.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said cavity is substantially circular in horizontal cross section and arcuate in vertical cross section.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein said cavity is disposed substantially centrally of said surface and the latter is generally rectangular and planar.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein is provided a removable plug for said cavity, said plug having a lower surface configured to complementally engage the Walls of said cavity and an upper surface adapted for underlying said panel to support the latter.

4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. 

